Autumn calving is in full swing on suckler farms. As the workload increases, keeping on top of essential management tasks is important.

While jobs and priorities will vary from herd to herd, outlined are five management areas to focus on during September.

Dehorning calves

Dehorning is much easier to carry out on young calves, as well as being less stressful on these animals. Therefore, make time to get as many calves as possible dehorned over the coming weeks.

Make sure each horn bud has been frozen with anesthetic, giving enough time for it to work before disbudding.

When using a dehorning iron, it should be sharp and piping hot on each use. Rotate clockwise and anti-clockwise before scooping out the bud.

Clostridial vaccines

Vaccinating against clostridial diseases is also recommended, especially on farms that have experienced issues with diseases such as blackleg in the past.

Respiratory diseases

Healthy calves are thriving calves. So, on farms with a history of pneumonia in young animals during winter, consider vaccinating against respiratory diseases over the coming weeks.

In addition to vaccinating, check shed ventilation and alter air inlets and outlets as necessary to improve air flow.

Tetany prevention

Weather during September can be extremely variable and this can trigger tetany in freshly-calved cows.

Make sure animals are properly supplemented for magnesium and avoid grazing swards for at least three weeks after slurry or a high potash fertiliser was applied.

Early housing for breeding

For autumn herds that start calving around 1 August, breeding is likely to get underway around mid-October.

To improve conception rates, it is good practice to house autumn cows at least two weeks before the start of the breeding season.

This allows animals to settle in the shed and adjust to the changeover to a silage-based diet. With cows settled on good silage and concentrate indoors, dry matter energy intakes will be higher and fertility will improve.

Leaving autumn cows outside into late October, then housing in the middle of breeding will impact negatively on herd fertility, due to the sudden change in environment and diet.

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